Design Director

Cast & Crew has empowered creativity and supported the global entertainment industry for decades. Together with our family of brands – Backstage, CAPS, Checks & Balances, Final Draft, Media Services, Sargent‑Disc, and The TEAM Companies – we operate as a combined entertainment technology and services provider offering industry standard screenwriting accounting software, digital payroll products, data & reporting, and a host of creative tools.

The industry continues to move faster than ever, and the need for our expertise, our technology, and our people has never been greater. We are a production’s best ally every step of the way.

Backstage matches creative projects with the best talent. We help staff over 50,000 creative projects a year in film, television, commercials, branded content, theater, experiential marketing and more. At our core is a strong belief in breaking down barriers and providing direct access to the best talent in the creative industry. We’re a team of customer‑centric, analytical and creative problem solvers with a passion for helping our customers make amazing projects together.

The Director, Design and Brand is responsible for shaping, elevating, and safeguarding Backstage’s brand identity across all editorial and marketing touchpoints. In this highly collaborative and visible leadership role, you will set the creative vision, guide brand expression, and oversee the development of high‑impact visual assets that support Backstage’s magazine, digital platforms, social channels, and marketing campaigns.

You will lead a high‑performing in‑house design team—along with freelancers and creative agencies as needed—ensuring exceptional creative quality, operational excellence, and consistent brand alignment. This role blends hands‑on creative direction with strategic brand leadership, partnering closely with Editorial, Marketing, Product, and Video to ensure Backstage’s visual identity is modern, cohesive, and audience‑driven.

• Develop, articulate, and execute a holistic creative vision and brand strategy for Backstage’s marketing campaigns, editorial properties, and content ecosystem.
• Own and evolve the Backstage style guide, including imagery guidelines, color systems, typography, illustration styles, and graphic design standards.
• Ensure a cohesive and compelling brand narrative across all platforms, including email, print, digital advertising, social media, video, events, and Backstage magazine.

• Lead, mentor, and empower a team of designers to produce world‑class creative that meets strategic goals and elevates the brand.
• Provide thoughtful, constructive feedback and direction across concepting, layout, typography, and execution.
• Set clear creative expectations, workflows, and quality standards to drive efficiency and craft.

• Oversee end‑to‑end creative development for Backstage campaigns, editorial packages, and evergreen brand assets.
• Guide the creation of social templates, content graphics, email visuals, landing pages, print layouts, and ad units.
• Provide creative oversight for video graphic packages and motion assets across , You Tube, and social platforms.

• Own and streamline the operational process for intake, prioritization, and delivery of creative requests across Marketing and Editorial.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Marketing, Editorial, Product, and Audience Development teams to align creative output with business and audience needs.
• Introduce systems, tools, templates, and workflows that increase creative efficiency while maintaining brand consistency and quality.

• Manage relationships with freelance designers, illustrators, photographers, and creative agencies to expand team capacity as needed.
• Identify when to leverage external talent to fill capability gaps, accelerate timelines, or bring fresh creative perspectives.

• Bring forward strong conceptual ideas that push the brand forward while staying aligned to Backstage’s mission and identity.
• Stay…